Chipper Jones To Retire Following 2012 Season

Chipper Jones' 19th season in the Major Leagues will also be the final one of his career. The Braves announced that their 39-year-old third baseman will retire following the 2012 campaign.

Larry Wayne 'Chipper' Jones has been a fixture in the Braves' organization ever since then-GM Bobby Cox selected him first overall in the 1990 draft. He leads all active players in service with one club, and it sounds as though he'll remain involved with the Braves after he stops playing. The Braves and Jones have expressed mutual interest in continuing to work together in future years.

Jones' credentials are worthy of the Hall of Fame. The seven-time All-Star won the 1999 National League MVP Award and the 2008 NL batting title. He also has 454 home runs, 1561 RBI, more walks (1455) than strikeouts (1358), and a .304/.402/.533 career batting line. Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504) are the only switch hitters with more career home runs.

Jones' contract included a 2013 club option for $7MM that would have become guaranteed at $9MM if Jones had played 123 games in 2012. The BB Abbott client earned upwards of $155MM as a Major Leaguer, according to Baseball-Reference.

Chipper, I have followed you from day 1 of your career and I have to say it’s been a great ride for me. You, sir, have a lot to be proud of and certainly a lot to be thankful for. Looking forward to your HOF induction ceremony! Thanks for all those years CJ!!!

Played for only the Braves, and had a hall of fame career. Hopefully his farewell tour can generate a little more traffic at the stadium because our attendance in Atlanta is awful. Much to be celebrated, and best of luck to him following baseball.

It’s a good thing i live an hour away from cooperstown because i will be there for his HOF induction. Thanks for all the memories Chipper, you’re my favorite athlete, you have always have been and you always will be. Let’s make this last year a good one!!!

I’m a Braves fan, and could never root for the Mets, but the Mets have knowledgable fans who appreciate great competitors…even ones who killed them over the years. Other than his final home game, I’d bet on Chipper’s greatest send-off happening in NY. After all, no NL fans should be happier to see him go.

So who takes over at 3rd? Uggla? Prado? I don’t remember them having a legit 3B prospect since Andy Marte. I’m guessing there are no Ryan Zimmermans in the draft, either. Might be a decent time to inquire on Mike Olt or Zack Cox.

Booking my trip to the ted for late this season, and putting money aside for the trip to cooperstown in a few years. I’ve been to a Braves game every year of Chippers career when they come to the west coast, and it’s usually seats down the third base line. I’ve enjoyed growing up rooting for Chipper Jones and the Braves, and it’s going to be different without himon the roster.

Sad news for Braves fans and MLB fans. Chipper is a first ballot HOF and a well respected player in the league. There aren’t many players/people that would take paycuts like he did to stay with the Braves organization. Even the average joe will generally take more money to go elsewhere. Chipper is a class act all the way! He will go down as one of the best 3B’s ever to play the game.

My friends and I brought this up recently about who over the past 15 years was the best hitter of the generation without using steroids. I picked Chipper. He is underrated and always put up great numbers, now there have been other great hitters who can have the honor of being the best of a generation as well but honestly chipper has to be in the conversation. I just wish he could have stayed healthy more towards the end.

Judging by the injury-caused slumps he experienced from 2004-2007 (right when Barry was doing his thing), I think we can assume that he didn’t use. If he would have been juicing, his body wouldn’t have started failing on him. Also, his power #’s were consistent throughout his career.

It’s unfortunate that Chipper is going to retire just as the Braves are about to become an elite team in the NL. They are going to be contenders for numerous years to come. I’m not a Braves fan, but I like Chipper. It’s a shame his body can’t hang in there to see what comes of the Braves in a couple of years.

Rose had better numbers per 162 game average than Murray did in every single category but HR and Slugging. He also played 5 more seasons where his numbers kept declining whereas Murray in his last 5 seasons, had 2 seasons which were better than his career averages.

There’s more to baseball than HR. What’s next? Are you going to tell me Jim Rice was better than Ichiro?

Speaking of Yankees/Braves, there’s a good chance we will see both 2 of the greatest Brave and Yankee players making their Hall of Fame speeches the same day (Chipper, and Mo assuming he retires after this year).

True, but that’s over 21 years…so he averaged about 5-6 a year, which is Iannettian speed, circa 2011. They also didn’t have “defensive indifference” back in Murray’s day, which padded his totals.

I’m willing to concede that Murray (whom I also saw play for much of his career) was a smart baserunner, but other than a few years when he was young, nobody should ever accuse Eddie Murray of having had speed.